Burns reflects on past seasons, focuses on senior year

The three-year letterwinner knows that he'll be called upon to be a team leader.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;By PETE MOLLICA & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mike Burns has never really seemed to get a break during his four seasons with the Youngstown State football team.
The senior tailback came to YSU in 1999 out of Niles McKinley High, where he led the Red Dragons to the playoffs and earned all-state recognition.
Burns was redshirted because the Penguins had talented Adrian Brown returning at tailback.
Just before Burns' second season began, P.J. Mays transferred to YSU from Cincinnati and took over that spot for the next three seasons.
If that wasn't enough bad luck for the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Burns, Josiah Doby, another outstanding tailback, who would have graduated last season, suffered an injury in 2001 and was redshirted giving him another season in 2003.
Coming into the 2003 campaign, Burns and Doby are the top two running backs.
No complaints
"Going through the years I thought my senior year would end up a little differently," Burns said. "But I can't complain. I'm happy with the way my career here has gone and no matter what we're going to have a good season this year."
Burns and Doby are expected to share the tailback position this season, but what even makes that position more interesting is that there are three other players on the roster pushing them for playing time.
Senior Darius Peterson and sophomores Josh Cayson and Justin Reams are all capable of playing well.
But Burns senses that he and Doby will see most of the action.
"We'll be alternating a lot this season," he said. "We've also put in a few new formations where we'll both be in the backfield at the same time. It will be different from previous years with two tailbacks in the game at the same time.
"I think that everything is going to work out fine this year," he added.
Burns comes into the season with 699 career rushing yards in three seasons.
His best year was 2001 when he rushed for 399 yards on 61 carries with 248 yards and 48 carries coming in the team's final three games, including an 86-yard performance in the season finale at Marshall. He also had a 44-yard touchdown run against Elon.
The three-year letterwinner knows that he'll be called upon to be a team leader this season as a senior.
"It will be different this year, I've got to step it up and assume the leadership role," he said.
"My redshirt freshman year we went to the national championship game," he added. "We are the only ones who remember what that feeling was like and we have to lead by example to show what it takes to get back to that level.
"We worked as a group most of the summer and we really got a good feel for one another," he added.
"All my numbers this summer went up in the weight room," Burns said. "I'm also 10 pounds lighter than I was in the spring and I got a lot stronger."
Set strength records
Burns set the team record in the spring with a 295-pound power clean lift, and then added another record this summer with a 550-pound squat lift.
He said that the loss of starting center Nick Roberts will be a big one, but the team will overcome that loss.
"Nick was one of our leaders on the offensive line last year and people looked up to him and were inspired by his play," he said. "We haven't necessarily lost him yet. Hopefully, he'll be back by the time we begin Gateway play.
"All the guys will come together and pick up the pace in his absence," he added.
The Penguins held their final workout in shells (helmets and shoulder pads) Thursday, and will begin workouts in full pads today at 3 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
The first contact day will be Saturday, which is also the first two-a-day session.
The morning session begins at 8:45 and will include the hoot 'n holler drill. The evening session at 7 p.m.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;mollica@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;